Sonny's Speech

Since Sonny (Thomson) was just a baby I've had a feeling that he would need a little extra help in the speech department. I think I started feeling that way from the time he was a newborn because he couldn't latch on correctly when breastfeeding. He always made a clicking sound due to a short frenulum. Of course it took me months of pain to finally get over my pride as an experienced nurser and ask the doctor about it. It wasn't short enough to be clipped and he grew out of it. It was always there in the back of my mind though. Wondering if it would effect his language skills. As it turns out this wouldn't effect his speech, but it didn't stop me from thinking about it. Then through the first year he wasn't babbling much or saying his first words. So the speech questions started in my head again. I kept telling myself, and everyone else, that I thought he was just more physical. I started teaching him a few simple signs around six months though, just in case. We thought "maybe he's just quiet and doesn't want to speak until he has it just right". I would meet my friends in the park and you would barely notice I had a one year old with me. He would just sit in his stroller quiet and content. By this point Sonny was saying dada, but that's it. Skip to his two year check up and he's saying around 8 words. By 12-18 months a child should have an average of 50-100 expressive words in his vocabulary. So that's when we decided it was time to talk to the pediatrician about it. It's so hard, because I knew he needed it, but I felt silly because he's only two! Plus all we would hear from everyone we expressed concern to is "boys talk later, Einstein didn't talk 'til he was five, I know someone who didn't say a word until three then one day spoke in full sentences". Even after his speech assesments I'm still second guessing myself. He'll say something new and I think "am I crazy and paranoid". Well, I might be crazy, but speech therapy can only help, right? Sonny is now going to MRDD every other Tuesday for therapy and every Tuesday to a pre readiness preschool group. As of this week he will also be having speech therapy through the hospital every Friday. I'm so happy we decided to do this rather than wait. We've been at this for almost two month's now and I think it's clicked. He now knows what we are wanting from him and he's giving it his all! It's such a great feeling every time he says something new! I think I took it for granted when Kennedy and Jonathan talked because it came so easily to them. Along with the speech his therapist talked to me about Sonny possibly having a sensory processing disorder (SPD). That maybe he's a sensory seeker or has a type of hyposensitivity. After she said that it was like an epiphany. "So that's why he does these things." Plays with his food squishing it before eating it. Always has to have a tag in hands. He's started biting and hitting, but not out of anger. Being a dare devil, and too many other signs to list. I think this might be why he developed PICA. Lots of kids have low iron, but it doesn't turn into PICA. The therapist isn't positive he has this sensory disorder, but she thought he sounded like a classic case of it. Obviously after reading more about it I think so too. So we're going to start working with him on the sensory issue as well. Maybe part of me wants this to be true so I don't feel like I've failed him as a mother. I know that sounds extreme, but I can't help but feel that way sometimes. I stay at home with him and until now I've been his only teacher, so I feel like his behavior reflects on me. When we're in public and my kids the one eating dirt and rabbit poo....well you see my point.

All in a week

We'll start with my 12 week old Anderson. He's had the most typical week. Pretty much sleeping eating and pooping. Oh, and lots and lots of crying, lol! No, he really doesn't cry all that much. He's usually pretty content as long as he's fed and not sleepy. Right now he's trying to laugh. I do mean trying! It's the cutest thing. He just kind of thrusts his arms and grunts. I've never had a baby where laughing didn't come natural too. I've been workin' it too! Tickling, peek a boo with the feet, funny voices, singing! One day soon we're going to have a breakthrough and I'm sure it will be the best cutest laugh ever! I can't wait.
So I guess next we'll go to Sonny, might as well go youngest to oldest! He's had a rough couple of days. Yesterday he had to have his ears tested because he has a slight speech delay, so they want to rule hearing issues out first. About an hour before the appointment I realized, "oh crap! Sonny hates his ears being touched"! I was not about to drag an infant along to that! So I pumped a bottle and shoot out the door to drop Anderson off with Tom at work. I of course was unannounced which he didn't appreciate much. No regrets here though, best decision ever. We arrive at the appointment right on time! As I'm filling out the paper work Sonny looks up and says "poo poo". Great. Guess what I left with Tom? That's right, the baby bag! Right then they call our name. Ugh!
*sigh*
So we go back to this room with tons of gadgets, he's doing just fine. Then the audiologist says "let's put this on your ear" holding a little instrument. He freaks! "Oh, OK" she says,"let's wait for the other audiologist before we begin." Meanwhile, I'm apologizing for his reaction and the smell, frantically explaining why I don't have any fresh diapers. In my head I'm screaming "I am a good mom! I am! I am!" The other lady arrives and we begin. We're moved to a room that's probably about 4' X 4' and hot as heck! I'm holding him on my lap about a foot away from the audiologist. Then the smell kicks in, and he's been taking iron...not pleasant at all! They make him listen to different tones at different frequencies while I'm restraining him to keep him still, sweating like crazy. This takes forever (in my mind), then we move to a chair where they put "ear pillows" in his ears to measure the echo in is ear drum. This was the big finale! He's the sweetest little thing, but my sweet angel was taken over by the beast within for the test. After some screaming, kicking, lots of poop, sweat and tears, alas, his ears are fine. But hey, at least we know now and won't have to go through that again. Hopefully that comforts me during the flashbacks!
Now to Jonathan. Our sensitive child. Who'd a thought! It's his first week of full day kindergarten. He seems to love it, but everyday ends with cranky tears. I think he'll get used to it eventually. He really likes his teacher and being in the big kid school. His teacher says he's been doing great. The first few days he was a little hyped up, but she said he's passed that now and doing great. Until.... of all days library day. Hahaha! So, I guess the librarian was reading a story called A Bad Case of Stripes about a little girl who gets stripes and changes into all sorts of things until she eats lima beans and is cured. She was half way through the book before Jonathan started freaking out. He was terrified! So they shut it quickly and calmed him down, then had to begin reading The Little Red Hen instead. I've seen him that scared a few times, but never over a book! He is scared of face paint and tattoos, so it kind of made sense. That kind of reaction was a surprise though. Then I looked up the book, it's pretty darn scary! I could see how he would freak over that. Pretty funny though. She probably thinks we're some crazy parents who lock him in the basement! Anyway, he's fine. He still won't look at the book though. I tried to explain that's it's pretend, but he's not having any of that! Other than this fiasco, he's enjoying school and hopefully he'll come to enjoy the library there too!
Kennedy has had a pretty good week. She's doing well in school and just started her first season of soccer! Saturday she had her soccer pictures taken and loved it so much she exclaimed that she's going to do soccer forever! Then we brought her back down to Earth and told her she should probably decide this after her first practice or better yet a game. Hahaha! So her first practice came and it was adorable. She was super happy and really enjoyed herself. The coach said she was giggling all the way down the field. We could sort of tell that from the sidelines! The girl inherited my skills in the sports department, which would be nil! It's so funny to watch! Her hands and feet flailing every where, lucky if she hits the ball even luckier if she doesn't trip. It's so cute, gosh I love her! Who knows? She may keep up with it and be a champion soccer player! Between the soccer and the ballet, coordination is sure to come at some point. Maybe one of these days she'll even stop falling out of her chair at dinner!.